Segments in this Video

Overview of Human Evolution(01:53)

Is the human race still evolving? If so, what has forced the race to evolve? What role does extreme environment force genetic changes? A developing technology could change the human species forever.

Human Beings: Newcomers on the Evolutionary Tree of Life(02:44)

Human beings are the newcomers in the evolutionary tree that stretches back 2.5 billion years. The human species appeared about 200,000 years ago, and about 60,000 years ago humans spread out from Africa.

Evolution in Action(03:56)

In highly toxic, arsenic-laced soil, earthworms evolved to live in the soil where ordinary earthworms would die rapidly. In 170 years, the worms evolved with a different genetic structure.

Human Species(01:51)

The human species emerged about 200,000 years ago. When humans left Africa 60,000 years ago, they spread out over the entire planet. Humans are products of natural selection.

Ancient Human Bones(03:57)

Bones from an adult male who lived 33,000 years ago are examined. Are they the same as human bones today? Nothing in the bones suggests that humans have changed over the millennia.

Evolution by Natural Selection(06:50)

In high altitudes where oxygen is much less plentiful, foreigners can die from altitude sickness. Sherpas are well adapted to low oxygen levels because of their unique circulation, or oxygen delivery system.

Human Genome and Evolution(05:53)

Technological developments have shed new light on human evolution. Unraveling the human genome opens a window to the past. One of the greatest drivers of human evolution has been disease.

Disease and Evolution(08:46)

Viruses and bacteria do not stay the same; they are constantly evolving. The future of humans is inextricably linked to what happens to viruses.

New Approach to Human Evolution(05:59)

An entirely new approach to studying human evolution is happening in Framingham, MA. Professor Stephen Stearns calculates how the population will evolve based on reproductive success and genetic components.

Genetic Future/Genetic Evolution(06:27)

Technology can affect human evolution in ways that were unthinkable a few decades ago. Genetic engineering and manipulation of the human genome is a new chapter in the history of human evolution.

Extinction or Adaptation(02:32)

The world has never changed more quickly than it is now. It could mean that humans are evolving faster than ever. The world will always change, and when that happens, humans will evolve in a big way, or humans will die off.

Description

Assume, for the sake of argument, that our species has created everything it needs—all the comfort and protection that technology can provide. Does that mean our biological evolution has come to an end? Not necessarily, says anatomist and anthropologist Alice Roberts. In fact, technology may be driving human evolution, and at breakneck speed. Dr. Roberts meets scientists who are detecting and analyzing recent changes in the human genome and visits other researchers who have been able to, in effect, alter the development of some plant and animal species. In addition, the program examines the highly significant role of disease in evolution and the possibility that humanity could evolve into two distinct species. A BBC Production. (50 minutes)

Reviews & Awards

“This very accessible film explores the factors that have
shaped the modern human species and that will continue to shape it into
the foreseeable future….should answer some questions and provoke some
debate. Suitable for high school classes and for college courses in
introductory physical anthropology, as well as general audiences.”
—Anthropology Review Database